Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Aquatics
Origin
Southeastern United States, Caribbean, Central America
World/Pandemic, North America, Caribbean, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia
Types
tourist tree, turpentine tree, chaca
-
Number of Varieties
11
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Riverbanks, Sandy stream banks, Tropical rainforest
Boggy areas, Near ponds
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-152-12
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 13, 22, 23, 24
21,22
Habit
Twisted/Contorted
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
460.00 cm182.88 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
760.00 cm91.44 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Sienna, Chocolate
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Crimson, Copper
-
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Dark Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Compound
Grass like
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Bloom Time
Summer, Indeterminate
Summer
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought, Salt
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Transplanting
Divison, Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
occasional watering once established
Does not require regular watering, Water Deeply
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Poorly Drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Cut limbs, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, Apply 5-10-5 amounts, Apply N-P-K
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds, Butterflies, Deers, Hummingbirds
Birds
Allergy
allergic reaction, Eye irritation, Mouth itching, Vomiting
Skin rash
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Bonsai
Ground Cover, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Improve skin condition, Making cosmetics, Removes pimples
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification, Forms dense stands, Nesting sites for birds, soil stabilisation
Air purification, soil stabilisation
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Aging, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, Headache
anticoagulant, Astringent, Burns, Diuretic, Emmenagogue, Galactogogue, Haemostatic, Miscellany, Refrigerant, Sedative, Tonic, Vulnerary
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Other Uses
Application in Furniture, Can be made into a herbal tea, Cosmetics
Fibre, For making oil, used for weaving hats, Used in biomass, Used in paper industry, Weaving into Mats and Bags
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Street Trees, Tropical
Dried Flower/Everlasting, Water Gardens, Wildflower
Botanical Name
BURSERA simaruba
TYPHA latifolia
Common Name
Gumbo Limbo, Tourist Tree, Turpentine Tree
Broadleaf Cattail, Common Cattail
In Hindi
Bursera simaruba
Broadleaf Cattail
In German
Bursera simaruba
Laub- Cattail
In French
Bursera simaruba
broadleaf Cattail
In Spanish
Bursera simaruba
Espadaña de hoja ancha
In Greek
Bursera simaruba
πλατύφυλλων Cattail
In Portuguese
Bursera simaruba
broadleaf Tifa
In Polish
Bursera simaruba
Broadleaf Cattail
In Latin
Bursera simaruba
broadleaf Cattail
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Angiosperms
Magnoliophyta
Class
Eudicotyledones
Liliopsida
Order
Sapindales
Typhales
Family
Burseraceae
Typhaceae
Genus
Bursera
Typha
Clade
Eudicots
Angiosperms, Commelinids, Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Pitcairnioideae
Number of Species
1030
1
27800
👆🏻